Sango's Regret
by Roxotaku
Summary: 2nd place winner at Feudal Tales on LJ, Sango prompt. Sango has a heartbreaking encounter with Kohaku, and comes to a new realization...


Prompt 2

Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and I make no from this story.

Sango's Regret

Scraping noises filled the clearing as Sango sharpened her bone boomarang. She needed the quiet to think, to wonder if the decision she had made earlier. Life was so complicated since her village had been slaughtered. She looked up in surpriseas her solitude was interrupted by a most unexpected guest.

Hair and feet flying, a blood spattered Rin burst into the clearing. Sango stood up and caught the little girl as her momentum propelled her into the demon slayer. Carefully she put Rin back on her feet, and then knelt down with a look of concern on her face. The child's expression was wild, and there was blood on her yukata.

"Can you tell me what is wrong?" Sango asked.

"Attacked…" Rin said panting. "My Lord and Jaken are gone…Kohaku."

At the mention of her brother's name, Sango took a quick, indrawn breath, and a steely look of determination came to her face. Rin stopped speaking and watched Sango pick up her weapon. Then she put her hand on the child's shoulder, and gave her a serious, but encouraging smile.

"Can you take me to him, Rin?"

The child nodded, and took her hand. Sango called to Kirara, and the fire cat sat up and changed to her larger, youkai form. The demon slayer helped Rin climb on Kirara's back, and they took to the sky. Rin pointed to the direction they should go, and Sango nodded and then whispered to Kirara. Then they veered off towards where Sango anxiously hoped to find her brother. Instinctively Sango held onto the little girl in front of her, the child's hair blowing back and tickling her chin.

'Hang on Kohaku,' Sango thought. 'We will be there soon.'

The meadow was littered with youkai bodies, the blood spatter like a gory bloom on the green grass. Limbs lay haphazardly about like strange, fallen tree limbs. In the middle of it all lay the prone figure of a boy. He was streaked with blood, and showed little sign of life.

"Down there!" Rin said pointing.

Sango gasped, and clutched tightly to the child with one hand and Kiraras fur with the other as they made their descent. The fire cat landed softly on the ground next to Kohaku, and Sango helped Rin quickly dismount. They both knelt by his side, and Sango put her hand on his cheek. He was warm, and she bent her face to his mouth and felt a faint wisp of breath coming from him.

"We need to bind his wounds," Sango said. "Do you have anything we can use, Rin?"

Biting her lip and casting her eyes about her, Rin sighed and shook her head. And then looking up at Sango grimly, she began to tear strips off the bottom of her yukata. Sango was surprised at first, but then her heart warmed when she saw how selfless the child was, and how obviously devoted to her brother. It eased her mind to see he had such a good friend.

Carefully they bandaged the worst of his wounds. But it was not enough.

"We need to find Kagome," Sango said. "He needs the care she can provide."

Rin nodded, and tried to help Sango get Kohaku on Kirara's back. Sango held him to her chest, and Rin sat in front so he was sandwiched between them and held upright. On the urgent flight back to find her friends, Sango was brought back to thoughts of her previous decision. It had been whether to demand Sesshomaru give custody of Kohaku to her, even though he had been traveling with the Lord of the West's group since escaping the clutches of Naraku. She still felt ambivalent for not trying harder to have her brother at her side…

"I see them!" Rin said, pulling Sango out of her thoughts.

Down below them, Kagome, InuYasha, Miroku and Shippou were looking up towards them as they started to land in their midst. The miko put her hands to her mouth in concern when she saw the limp boy in Sango's arms, and immediately turned to her back pack to get her first aid kit. Miroku came over immediately and helped Sango carry Kohaku over to the campsite, followed by Rin who was anxiously wringing her hands.

"Keh, what happened?" InuYasha said. "Where were my brother and Jaken when you were attacked?"

"Lord Sesshomaru left with orders for us to wait for him," said Rin softly as she watched them lay Kohaku gently on the ground. "Jaken was supposed to stay as well, but Sesshomaru did not turn him away when he went chasing after him."

"All that matters now, is taking care of Kohaku," said Kagome, coming to kneel at the boy's side with some bandages and antiseptic.

"Thank you," said Sango and smiled gratefully at the young miko.

"Maybe InuYasha and I should go and be sure there are no more youkai left alive," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Whatever their purpose, if Naraku was their master we could be in for more trouble."

"Let's go," InuYasha said, stalking off glad to be looking for some action.

Giving Sango a reassuring smile, Miroku got up and followed him.

"Will he be alright?" Shippo asked as he sat down next to Rin.

Looking up at Sango with a worried expression, Kagome did not answer right away. The demon slayer glanced up at the miko a moment, and then away. Instead she continued to minister to her brother's wounds.

"He'll be fine," Kagome finally said. "This boy has survived a lot…and he still has the shard in his back, and we will not take it out as long as it is necessary to keep him alive."

When all his wounds had been cleaned and dressed, Sango held Kohaku's head gently in her lap. Waves of fear and regret washed over her, as she gently smoothed the hair out of his face. Had she really made the right decision? Would he be alright? If he had been with them instead of alone with a helpless child fighting a horde of youkai, he would not have come to this!

'Forgive me Kohaku,' Sango thought. 'I am your older sister, I should have done more…'

The boys pale face in her lap suddenly twitched, and he slowly opened his eyes. A huge smile of relief came to Sango's face, and tears came to her eyes. He regarded her in confusion.

"Why am I here?" Kohaku said quietly. "Where is Rin – is she okay?"

"Oh, Kohaku, I'm here!" Rin said, and placed her head gingerly on his chest in joy. "You killed all the youkai and saved me!"

As a look of tenderness came to the boys eyes and he stiffly placed a hand on the girls shoulder, a realization came to Sango. There was more to why Kohaku was not with her that she had not taken into consideration…

Out of the corner of her eye, Sango saw someone else approaching. Everyone accept Kohaku and Rin looked up. It seems his human wards were not forgotten after all.

"Lord Sesshomaru demands you hand over the child Rin, now." Jaken said self-importantly.

Behind Jaken stood said Lord Sesshomaru, regarding them all coolly. Then his eyes rested on Kohaku and Rin.

"Come, we are leaving," Sesshomaru said.

"Ah-Un," said Jaken, and yanked on the reins of the two-headed dragon.

"But my Lord, what about Kohaku?" Rin said in dismay, standing up.

To Sangos chagrin, Kohaku got up stiffly and took Rins hand. Yet, it was as she expected. For Kohaku, his attachment to Rin was fresh and vital. But for his sister…it was still muddied. This was something she now understood better, and would have to come to terms with, as hard as that might be.

Before mounting Ah-Un, Kohaku turned and looked at Sango, and she gave him a tremulous smile. Blushing a little, he tried to smile back.

"Thank you for taking care of Rin," Kohaku said. "and…thank you all for helping me as well."

"Oh yes, thank you very much!" Rin said.

Everyone said good bye as Sesshomarus group left. Despite her new found understanding and acceptance of the situation, Sango could not help but feel bereft. Kagome looked over at her sympathetically. The demon slayer took a deep breath, and tried to control the tears that threatened to come.

"Was that my brother I saw leaving?"

InuYasha and Miroku had returned, and stood watching the dwindling figures of the group. Although Sango was fighting valiantly to let her understanding of Kohaku's choice ease her heart and mind, she was feeling desolate and being parted from him yet again. Not wanting anyone to see her be upset, she got up and left quickly. But not everyone was watching the departure…

Miroku noticed Sango's hasty departure, his brow drew down in concern.

'Should I follow her?' Miroku thought. 'Although she may think she needs to be alone, I think she may need comforting.'

InuYasha noticed Miroku leaving, and went to say something. But Kagome had realized what was going on, and put a hand on his sleeve, shaking her head with a frown. The hanyou subsided with a sour look, and they all sat to wait for their friends return.

Miroku found Sango leaning up against a tree, her shoulders shaking. He hesitated a moment, and sighed. There had to be a way for him to help her. He took a step, and the crunching of a stick under his foot alerted her to his presence. She spun around and looked at him, her pretty face stained with helpless tears.

"I don't mean to intrude, Sango." Miroku said. "But I wanted you to know I am here for you, if you need me."

To his surprise, Sango ran into Miroku's arms. Grateful that his offered comfort was accepted, he held her. Sango let the feel of his strong arms around her, his warmth, and scent envelope her. This was the man she loved, despite his hentai ways.

"I understand you are sad to see Kohaku go," said Miroku.

Sango nodded into his chest, and then raised her head to look into his sympathetic, handsome face. He raised his hand and smoothed the hair away from her face, and gently dried the tears on her cheeks with his fingers. The soft touch went right to her heart.

"Yes I am," Sango said. "But I understand he is where he needs to be right now."

"He is, but don't worry," Miroku answered. "I believe you will be reunited again. Until then you have your friends…you have me Sango."

A warmth suffused Sangos heart, as Mirokus love slowly replaced the pain there. Miroku planted a tender kiss on her forehead and she smiled.

'I believe that someday it will all work out,' Sango thought. 'I must keep on believing that at the end of the quest, I will have them both – my brother and my love.'

So in the end, there was no decision for Sango to regret. Just the future to make unfold.


End file.
